The set above represents Lionel Messi during the 2014–15 season, a campaign that saw Barcelona win yet another historic treble—largely driven by their iconic No. 10’s incredible form. At this point, we were running out of superlatives to describe him. After what many considered an underwhelming 2013–14 season (by his own lofty standards), Messi bounced back with performances that not only reclaimed his crown—but redefined his role entirely.
During this season, Messi evolved into something new: a playmaking right winger. Rather than acting solely as a goal-scoring machine, he took on a more creative role—often drifting wide and delivering those signature diagonal passes into the final third with surgical accuracy. This tactical shift coincided with the arrival of Luis Suárez, who initially started on the wing but eventually settled into the central No. 9 role.
Yet, despite the positional and stylistic changes, Messi’s core genius remained untouched. His dribbling and finishing were still at an unmatched level. Just watch his goals against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final or his famous solo run and finish against Bayern Munich—he still looked like the best dribbler and finisher in the world.
By this point, Messi wasn’t just excelling in one area—he was dominant in all of them.
- The best passer in football.
- Still the best dribbler.
- One of the most lethal finishers.
- And a world-class free-kick taker.
This version of Messi was a complete footballer, a perfect hybrid of a No. 10, a winger, and a striker. An all-rounder in the truest sense.
Barcelona’s tactical tweaks under Luis Enrique paid off spectacularly—not only delivering all three major trophies (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League), but also unveiling what many consider the greatest front three of all time: Messi, Suárez, and Neymar—with Messi at the heart of it all, the crowning jewel of the trident.
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